Rep. Tom Suozzi echoes calls for U.S. to change immigration rules temporarily to help Ukrainians impacted by war
GLEN COVE, N.Y. -- As nearly 3 million refugees have fled Ukraine so far, there are calls in our country to bend immigration rules to accommodate them here.
Right now, U.S. consulates in Europe are turning down their travel visa requests. As CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reported Monday, families are pleading for rules to be changed to allow families to help loved ones.
"I not sleep, very bad emotion," Galyna Semenkova said.
Semenkova struggled for the words, but her anguish was apparent. She has one daughter here and the other is among the millions who have fled Ukraine. She was reached by phone -- with her husband -- after being sheltered in Italy by caring strangers.
"The embassy they said they cannot give us any visa," Oleksandr Isaienko said.
"They told us that they understand that we have no home right now and we can't go to Ukraine, but they cannot give us visa," Kseniia Isaienko said.
The family is willing and able to bring them to safety on Long Island, but the couple was turned away in Milan.
"Without knowing what's going to happen there, they categorically denied the application for a visitor visas," brother-in-law Benjamin Schwartz said.
"We can shelter them. We can provide them with everything that they need just to wait it out," sister Jenya Semenkova added.
The family is one of many appealing to members of Congress for help. Rep. Tom Suozzi has written to President Joe Biden with an urgent request to change policy to allow some of the 1 million Ukrainian-Americans to bring family here on visas until the war ends.
Tourist visas are only issued to people who agree to return to their country at the end of their stay, but with cities being bombed and the futured unclear, or course, Ukrainian refugees cannot attest to that.
When asked why they can't they say they're going to go back home, Suozzi said, "Why can't they say they are going to go back home? Because they don't know what has happened to their home. They don't know what has happened to their city. They don't know when it will be safe to go back home, so this is a terrible quirk in the law."
Suozzi argues the circumstances are unique and refugees will not be a burden.
"We don't want to live in U.S. We want the hope to go back home to Ukraine," Kseniia Isaienko said.
Immigration lawyer Marina Fooksman says consulates are flooded with similar cases.
"There are not even appointments available and any neighboring country is now inundated with appointment requests. Speaking to people, the next available appointment is January of 2023," Fooksman said.
The family Gusoff spoke to said they are proud Americans who believe the government will find a way to help families help loved ones in crisis.